Combined feeding and sorting device for sheet material

ABSTRACT

A sorting device having divider cards and a supply tray mounted on a base for receiving sheets. A feeding device for sheets is associated with the tray, so that when the cards are separated to form a filing pocket, the feeding device automatically projects the first exposed sheet from the supply tray. The cards are releasably retained in the base by a displaceable lock rail operable from the front of the base.

United States Patent Syversen [54] COMBINED FEEDING AND SORTING DEVICE FOR SHEET MATERIAL [72] Inventor: Finn Kohler Syversen, Solveien 4 A,

1820 Spydeberg, Norway [22] Filed: April 21, 1971 [21] Appl. No.: 135,941

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data April 23, 1970 Norway ..l555/7O [52] US. Cl ..209/l22, 312/183 [51 Int. Cl. ..B07C 7/02 [58] Field of Search ..209/126, 122, 123; 271/42, 271/43; 312/183, 185

[56] References Cited I UNITED STATES PATENTS Bunn "209/122 1 Oct. 10, 1972 3,291,545 12/1966 Bennett ..3l2/l 83 Primary Examiner-Richard A. Schacher Attorney-Howson and Howson [57] ABSTRACT A sorting device having divider cards and a supply tray mounted on a base for receiving sheets. A feeding device for sheets is associated with the tray, so that when the cards are separated to form a filing pocket, the feeding device automatically projects the first exposed sheet from the supply tray. The cards are releasably retained in the base by a displaceable lock rail operable from the front of the base.

4 Claims 6 Drawing Figures PATENTEUucnorsrz 3 696 926 sum 1 [IF 2 PATENTEDnm 10 m2 SHEET 2 [1F 2 COMBINED FEEDING AND SORTING DEVICE FOR SHEET MATERIAL The present invention relates to a sorting device for sheet material, preferably unsorted documents, e.g. filing cards, letters or the like, to be sorted and immediately deposited in a desired place in files provided in connection with said device.

Various kinds of such devices are previously known. They are for instance used for sorting correspondence, invoice copies or the like and must be easily and rapidly operable, so as to render possible an effective sorting and depositing of sheet material.

The object of the invention is to provide such a sorting device, which has a very simple and robust structure, and by which sorting and depositing can be carried out manually with a minimum of handlings and with great speed and reliability.

Especially the invention relates to a sorting device of the mentioned type comprising a base plate having a number of freely slidably rigid separating cards protruding from it, said cards being provided with indication means, e.g. indication clips, and the foot portion of said separating cards consisting of pins in releasable engagement with rails, slot edges or the like, provided in connection with the base plate. In said devices filing spaces or packets can be arranged between the separating cards resp., and said cards being provided with indication clips or the like with a label for each pocket in question, filing pockets can be achieved by separation of the desired groups of cards.

According to the invention it is suggested to provide a sorting device immediately in connection with said filing device known per se, which sorting device feeds one sheet to be sorted at a time immediately upon the separating motion of the groups of separating cards resp. for providing the desired filing pockets. According to the invention it is thus suggested that a tray or the like for receiving a stack of sheets is provided immediately in front of and cooperating with the first separating card, and that a spring loaded feeding means having a friction element is provided in front of said tray or the like, so that a forward motion of any desired group of separating cards automatically causing the foremost separating card to swing forward, also causes the tray or the like to swing forward, whereby the friction element is brought into contact with the uppermost or first sheet of the stack, and said sheet is moved upwards by the continued swinging motion of said parts so that it can be taken manually to be placed in the filing pocket provided when said separating card group is moved forward.

The invention will be better understood from the following description of an embodiment shown in the drawing. However, the invention is not limited to the details shown in the drawing and described below, said details being modifiable in many ways within the scope of the invention.

FIG. 1 shows a sorting device according to the invention seen in perspective from above.

FIG. 2 shows the device according to FIG. 1 in a schematic side view.

FIG. 3 shows the device according to FIG. 2, but with a group of separating cards swung up to provide a filing pocket A.

FIG. 4 shows a plan view of a separating card, and

FIG. 5 shows such a separating card attached to the base plate of the device. FIG. 5 shows the base plate and its parts in a sectional view.

FIG. 6 shows a side view of separating cards so as to illustrate the attachment pins or foot portions of said cards.

The device according to the shown embodiment has a base plate comprising a top plate 1, a bottom plate 3 and an intermediate plate 2 secured to the underside of the top plate. In the top plate a central slot 21 is running the whole length of the plate. As is best seen in FIG. 5, an intermediate plate 2 is secured to the top plate below said slot. The intermediate plate 2 is on both sides provided with a series of apertures or slots 8.

The separating cards 5 are manufactured of a comparatively rigid material and are preferably provided with a series of apertures uppermost for securing indication clips 6 or the like indicating the kind of sheets to be placed in the pockets resp. between the cards. The lowermost portion of the separating cards is provided with or manufactured in one piece with pins 20. The length of said pins 20 is adapted so as to let the pins support the cards 5 by engagement between the ends of the pins and the underside of the edge of the slot 21. To maintain the cards in this position a locking rail 4 is provided. It will appear from FIG. 5 how this rail having a U-shaped cross sectional profile is inserted in the intermediate space 19 between the pins 20 and prevents lateral motion of the cards, which would cause disengagement of the pins 20 on one or the other side of the slot edge resp.

In the described device the cards can thus be swung over a certain angle around the pin connection 20. At the rear end of the separating cards there is a supporting plate or a compressing means 7 provided with pins which can be made to engage a desired pair of apertures or slots 8. The separating cards can thus, if desired, be compressed by said means. Its angle of inclination is adjustable by the aid of a set screw 9 cooperating with a slot (not shown) in the vertical support. The angle between the supporting plate and the base plate is thus easily adjustable and the inclination of the separating cards can be adjusted as desired.

The separating cards 5 are released when the locking rail 4 is moved transversally to its longitudinal direction. In the shown example the rail 4 is secured to the intermediate plate 2 by the aid of a pin joint 24 engaging inclined slots (not shown) in the intermediate plate 2. On the end facing the sorting device the locking rail 4 is provided with a bent up end portion 4'. This portion serves as an operating means. By pushing the end portion 4' in one direction the pin joints 24 will be forced to move in the inclined slots in the intermediate plate 2. Because of the engagement of the upright edges of the rail in the intermediate space 19 the lateral components will force all separating cards out towards one side as indicated by the arrow p. The card 'will have a laterally displaced position as indicated by dotted lines 5". In this position, however, the pin 20 to the left in the drawing is moved free of the edge of the slot in the top plate and the card can be removed by being pushed somewhat towards the right side of the drawing with its upper portion whereupon the other pin is lifted out of engagement with the slot edge and the card is released.

Insertion cards in their locked position is carried out in the reverse order, the operating means 4" being pushed in the opposite direction.

Immediately in front of the foremost separating card 5 and resting against said card there is a collecting tray 10, on which an unsorted pile of sheets 11 is placed. The tray is preferably provided with lateral edges 12 being laterally displaceable and preferably provided with means to limit the displacement of sheets from the tray so as to let only one sheet be moved at a time by the device 13. In the shown example said device consists of a stationary member secured to the base plate and having its top provided with a bearing 16 for an arm 14. On the free end of said arm a friction element, e.g. a grooved rubber roller is provided. Said arm 14 has a leg 17 beneath the bearing 16. The leg 17 is influenced by a leaf spring 18. Thus, the spring 18 will influence said leg 17 so as to prevent the arm 14 from swinging upwards, that is turning clockwise in the drawing.

The shown and described device functions as follows: A stack of unsorted sheets 11 is put on the tray 10. The uppermost or first sheet of the stack 11 is read so as to be classified. The operator then rapidly sees into what pocket the sheet in question is to be put. With a finger in front of the separating card having the right label on its indication clip the operator swings the group of cards in front of said card from the position shown in FIG. 2 into the position shown in FIG. 3. An open filing pocket A is formed.

The displacement of said group of separating cards, however, automatically causes the foremost of said cards 5' against which the tray 10 is resting, to swing towards right inthe drawing. Consequently the friction element gets in contact with the first sheet 11' and pushes said sheet upwards as shown in FIG. 3. It is then easy to take said sheet 1 1 with the fingers of the operators other hand and put it in the pocket A. As soon as the group of cards is released, it will go back into the position shown in FIG.- 1. Repeated operations of the same kind will continuously feed one sheet at a time upwards from the stack 11, so that said sheets in turn can be put into the appropriate pocket.

The pins 20 are preferably shaped with protruding cams or the like 22 on their sides, as indicated in FIG. 6. As it will appear from the drawing, said cams will not be in contact witheach other when the cards are parallel. However, when the cards are turned away from each other to form a pocket A, the cams will butt against each other and push the pins 20 somewhat away from each other. The pocket A will thus be a little wider than it would have been if the pins had been cylindrical.

I claim:

1. A sorting device for sheet material comprising a base plate, a number of freely slidable, rigid separating cards protruding from said base and (5) provided with indication means, the foot portion of each separating card (5) being in releasable engagement with the base plate, characterized in that a tray (10) for receiving a stack of sheets (1 1) is provided immediately in front of and cooperating with the foremost separating card (5), and that a spring loaded feeding device (13, 14) provided with a friction element (15) is arranged in front of said tray (10), so that a forward motionpf an arbitrary group of separating cards (5) automatically causing a corresponding forward motion of the foremost separating card (5') also causes the tray (10) to swing forward, whereby the friction element (15) is brought into contact with the uppermost or first sheet of the sheet stack (11) which in the course of the continued swinging movement of said parts (5, 5', 10) is pushed upwards (11') and can be taken manually to be placed in the filing pocket (A) that was formed when said group of separating cards was swung forward.

2. A device according to claim 1 wherein said base plate is formed to provide a central slot running the whole length of the plate, said foot portion of each card having pins in said slot engaging under the edges of the slot, a locking rail engaging said cards in said slot and centering said pins therein, said rail being displaceable transversely to effect disengagement of the pin from one of said slot edges, thereby permitting removal of said card.

3. A device as stated in claim 2, characterized in that the friction element (15) rests on the free end of a spring loaded (18) arm (14) pivoted to the base plate (1).

4. A device as stated in claim 3, characterized in that the end of the locking rail (4) near the stationary member (13) is bent up (4) and serves as an operating means for the displacement of the rail. 

1. A sorting device for sheet material comprising a base plate, a number of freely slidable, rigid separating cards protruding from said base and (5) provided with indication means, the foot portion of each separating card (5) being in releasable engagement with the base plate, characterized in that a tray (10) for receiving a stack of sheets (11) is provided immediately in front of and cooperating with the foremost separating card (5), and that a spring loaded feeding device (13, 14) provided with a friction element (15) is arranged in front of said tray (10), so that a forward motion of an arbitrary group of separating cards (5) automatically causing a corresponding forward motion of the foremost separating card (5'') also causes the tray (10) to swing forward, whereby the friction element (15) is brought into contact with the uppermost or first sheet of the sheet stack (11) which in the course of the continued swinging movement of said parts (5, 5'', 10) is pushed upwards (11'') and can be taken manually to be placed in the filing pocket (A) that was formed when said group of separating cards was swung forward.
 2. A device according to claim 1 wherein said base plate is formed to provide a central slot running the whole length of the plate, said foot portion of each card having pins in said slot engaging under the edges of the slot, a locking rail engaging said cards in said slot and centering said pins therein, said rail being displaceable transversely to effect disengagement of the pin from one of said slot edges, thereby permitting removal of said card.
 3. A device as stated in claim 2, characterized in that the friction element (15) rests on the free end of a spring loaded (18) arm (14) pivoted to the base plate (1).
 4. A device as stated in claim 3, characterized in that the end of the locking rail (4) near the stationary member (13) is bent up (4'') and serves as an operating means for the displacement of the rail. 